Xcode for Windows: Develop iOS Apps on PC

Written by Reinder de Vries on February 28 2020 in App Development

How can you run Xcode on Windows and develop iOS apps with a Windows PC? The short answer is: you can’t! You’ve got a few alternatives to get around that, however. In this tutorial, we’ll discuss how you can install Xcode on Windows to build iOS apps.

Here’s what we’ll get into:

• Rent a Mac in the cloud (starting at $20/mo)
• Run and compile Swift directly on Windows/Linux
• Learning to code with a Swift Sandbox
• Build your own “Hackintosh” by installing macOS on a PC
• Run Xcode on Windows by installing macOS on a virtual machine
• Develop iOS apps on Windows with cross-platform tools
• Get your hands on a second-hand Mac (starting at $300)

Xcode for Windows: What & Why

Xcode contains everything you need to build iOS apps, and it only runs on macOS!

That’s when the problems start. You want to make an iOS app with your Windows PC, but you can’t buy a PC or laptop with macOS pre-installed on it. Unlike Windows, Apple doesn’t license its operating system to other computer manufacturers. You can only use macOS on a Mac.

In fact, when you obtain a license to use macOS, which happens when you purchase a Mac computer, you have to agree to only run the operating system on Apple hardware. This effectively limits you to only develop apps on a Mac.

“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.”
— Steve Jobs (1983)

But… it’s more fun to be a pirate, than to join the navy, right? Let’s discuss a few alternatives that’ll let you run Xcode on Windows and develop iOS apps on a Windows PC!

Rent a Mac in the Cloud

An even easier way to get your hands on macOS, albeit more expensive, is to rent a Mac “in the Cloud”. You can work with Xcode on Windows with this approach, because you’re essentially connected to a Mac that’s elsewhere.

Here’s how that works:

• Someone connects a bunch of Mac’s to the internet
• You sign in on one of those Macs via a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP)
• Done! You can use this Mac from Windows/Linux and build iOS apps

Services like MacinCloud and MacStadium offer affordable rent-a-Mac products, usually paid on a monthly basis. Prices typically start at $20/month and you can choose from several hardware options, including Mac Mini and Mac Pro.

Starting at	Type
MacinCloud	$20/month	Dedicated, Virtual, Server
MacStadium	$79/month	Dedicated, Enterprise
virtualmacosx.com	$9.75/month	Shared (timesharing)
Mac Cloud	$49/month	Virtual
Flow	Premium	Dedicated, Enterprise
HostMyApple	$25/month	Virtual, Dedicated

You connect to those cloud-based Macs via a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP). Windows includes a stock Remote Desktop Client you can use, and so do most Linux operating systems. Once you’re logged on, you can launch Xcode, and start building your iOS app. That way you’re effectively running Xcode on your Windows PC!

Cloud-based Macs usually come in 3 flavours:

• A dedicated Mac, which means you get access to a physical Mac located in a data center, as if you bought a Mac in the Apple Store and put it on your desk.
• A virtual Mac, which means you get access to a virtual Mac in a data center, much like the VirtualBox solution mentioned earlier. Your Mac won’t run on Apple hardware, but it will run macOS.
• A Mac Build Server, which is a specialized kind of Mac that can be used to compile iOS apps. You’ll create those apps on your Mac, and then instruct the Build Server to compile the app for you.

A dedicated Mac is the most convenient, and the most powerful option. A virtual Mac is OK too, but it typically does not perform as well as a physical Mac computer.

Running Xcode via a Mac in the cloud has a drawback: you can’t easily connect your iPhone to Xcode via USB! With Xcode on your local Mac you can run and debug your app on your own iPhone, via the USB/Lightning cable. This obviously won’t work when your Mac is in the cloud…

Don’t worry! There are plenty of solutions for that:

• A simple approach is to run your app on iPhone Simulator, right from within Xcode. You can launch iPhone Simulator in Xcode, and debug your app with it. This is perfect for the development phase of your project.
• An alternative solution are tools like Flexihub, NoMachine and USB Network Gate. They only work with dedicated Mac hardware, and you need to have a dedicated IP address.
• Install your iOS app on your iPhone via TestFlight, and debug it with a tool like Bugsnag. You can monitor and debug live crashes in your app.

An interesting use case for renting a Mac in the cloud comes from the latest developments in Apple’s hardware. Many designers, developers and desktop-publishers have voiced their concerns over Apple hardware lagging behind, offering low-spec computers for a fairly high price.

If you don’t want to take your $3.000 MacBook Pro with you in a coffee shop, or on your next trip to Thailand, why not purchase a low-end Windows or Linux laptop, and connect to your Mac in the cloud? You can either host it at home yourself, co-locate it in a data center, or rent a dedicated cloud-based Mac.

Do you want to learn how to code iOS apps, but don’t want to invest money in a Mac? Rent a Mac in the cloud for the duration of the iOS development course you’re taking! It’s a great way to bootstrap learning iOS development, and you can always buy your own Mac later.

Learn how to code iOS apps

Get started with Xcode and Swift

Ready to get started with iOS development? Learn how to code iOS apps with Xcode and Swift with our immersive iOS development course. Works both on Mac and PC!

Developing for iOS device in Windows environment with Flutter

I’m new to Flutter, was just wondering if it’s possible.

I’ve tried building the demo code using intellij with given instruction (https://flutter.io/setup/). It runs well on android device, but can’t find the option to compile and run on my iOS device.

6 Answers 6

You can do your main development on Linux or Windows with Android Studio or Visual Studio Code. Then use git to move the code to macOS to test it with Xcode on an iOS simulator/device and deploy it to the App Store.

You could do all development on macOS but you can’t do all development on Linux or Windows. I’m not too pleased with Apple for making overpriced machines and then forcing us to buy them. Since I can’t afford a fast Apple computer, I am planning to do most of my development on Linux and then just do testing and deployment on my painfully slow Mac Mini.

Update

It seems like there are more possibilities now. Read the following articles:

Personally, I ended up buying a MacBook Pro for way too much money. I have to admit that it is convenient, but I have done very little up to this point that really required it. I’m doing all of my learning and development in Android Studio and usually use the Android emulator. Every now and then I fire up the iOS simulator, but I haven’t been required to.

My advice is to keep using your current system (Windows or Linux) for as long as you are learning and even while you are developing your first Flutter apps. Eventually you may appreciate the convenience of having the iOS Simulator and Xcode on the same machine, but there is certainly no rush.

HOW TO DEVELOP IOS APPS ON WINDOWS

Have you ever thought of developing an iOS mobile app on windows?

The answer will be most probably a big NO, however, the times have changed and let’s find out how to develop an iOS app on windows.

The main issue that holds you from iOS app development in windows was the Xcode, the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) we use to design and develop an iOS app.

Xcode includes a swift compiler, interface builder and other required tools to upload your app to the app store.

Now Xcode contains everything you need to build an iOS application.

The only issue is that it is only compatible with Mac OS X (now called Mac OS).

Another issue is that you can’t buy any PC with Mac OS on it because unlike Windows, Apple doesn’t let you license its OS with other manufacturers.

When you purchase an OS X, you can license to only run this OS on Apple hardware.

This limits you to develop apps that run only on a Mac.

Table of Contents

Top 8 Ways to Develop an iOS App on Windows PC

1. Use Virtualbox and Install Mac OS on Your Windows PC

The quickest way to develop iOS apps on windows is with the help of a virtual machine.

A virtual machine will create an environment where any operating system can run in like it’s running in the same hardware itself.

This functionality is called virtualization as it allows you to run Windows on Linux and even Windows on OS X.

To run Mac OS on a virtual machine, you need two things:

• A copy of OS X as a virtual image file or an installer.

• A virtual machine tool like VirtualBox or VMWare.

You can acquire a duplicate of OS X by downloading it from the App Store.

You can likewise find installers from different sources on the internet.

Remember that utilizing Mac OS on non-Apple hardware is against Apple’s End User License Agreement (EULA).

2. Rent a Mac in the Cloud

A considerably simpler approach to get your hands on OS X is to lease a Mac in the Cloud, although it will be much more expensive.

Services like Mac-in-Cloud and Mac-Stadium offer affordable rent-a-Mac products.

You can connect with those cloud-based Macs by means of a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP).

Windows provides a stock Remote Desktop you can utilize, thus do most Linux OS.

Once you’re signed in, you can install Xcode and your iOS app development services.

3. Build Your Own “Hackintosh”

The most evident choice iOS app development services on a Windows PC is maybe to actually install OS X on a Windows PC.

Apple enthusiasts have always enjoyed the integrated user experience, design, and interconnectivity the tech giant has offered.

A Hackintosh is a PC that runs Mac OS. It is same as installing an OS X in a Virtual machine, likewise, you can install OS X as a bootable OS to your PC.

4. Create iOS Apps on Windows with Cross-Platform Tools

Cross-platform tools are amazing: you code your application once and export it to iOS and Android.

That could cut your application development time and cost into the half.

A few cross-platform tools enable you to create iOS applications on a Windows PC or allow you to compile the application if there’s a Mac within your network.

A regularly heard argument against cross-platform app development tools is that they offer restricted access to and support for smartphone hardware, and are less “smart” than their counterparts.

Remember that any cross-platform tool will expect you to compose platform-specific code at a certain point, particularly if you need to code custom features.

5. Code with a Swift Sandbox

Swift is an open-source language, which implies that you can effectively run it on any hardware.

Swift is an open-source language, which implies that you can effectively run it on any hardware.

Accordingly, you can likewise run it in your browser too – if the language is ported to Chrome, Safari or Firefox.

You can learn Swift and code with it without needing a Mac or XCode, using Swift Sandbox.

Once you run a code in Swift Sandbox, it will send the code to a webserver. The webserver will compile the code and return a result.

Accordingly, you can likewise run it in your browser too – if the language is ported to Chrome, Safari or Firefox.

6. Use Unity3D

A powerful IDE, Unity, is essentially known as a game development engine that can be used on Android, iOS, Windows, and many other platforms.

But its rapid development and powerful features also make it a good choice for building non-gaming apps.

Unity’s “Cloud Build” feature supports iOS development on Windows in simple steps.

By registering as an Apple developer and joining the unity cloud build, it is easy to set up, create, and build iOS projects.

With a free to use editor for development and distribution, it is possible to completely build an ios app in Windows.

You only need a Mac to compile the project!

7. With the Hybrid Framework, Xamarin

A cheaper option than Cloud Mac, hybrid frameworks give a cost-effective solution or iOS development on Windows.

Xamarin is a trusted choice by most developers, who claim that it provides real native output.

It uses C# for coding. It is a feature-rich platform that allows you to build and compile iOS apps and deploy them to iOS devices from Windows.

The only thing you cannot do from Windows and require a Mac is the submission to the app store.

8. In React Native Environment

React Native is a cross platform tool based on Javascript that is widely being used for iOS development on Windows.

It has several exceptional features and an easy learning curve, making it a popular tool among developers.

Using the android emulator and by setting up Mac OS deployment machines, developing an iOS application in Windows is possible.

To see the output, you can use the Expo simulator, which is available on both Android and iOS.

Conclusion

If you wanted to start building on iOS and unavailability of a Mac OS was what was stopping you, then these alternatives are exactly what you need.

Although these might be a little complicated that directly building on Mac, they are tried and tested alternatives by developers worldwide.

In the end, iOS application development is all about familiarizing yourself with Xcode.

Once you’re comfortable there, you can develop your app with the tools mentioned above, which will help you get started on the right path.